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Wynn Las Vegas - 2017 - Issue 3 - Winter

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JEWELS :
A standout jeweler with a thoroughly international aesthetic—and equally
global celeb following—opens at Wynn.
by Mark Ellwood
TARAJI P. HENSON WAS A STANDOUT AT THE 2017 OSCARS.
Channeling her inner Angelina Jolie, she posed in a thigh-high split
gown, accessorized with a showstopping diamond-crusted collar—a
signature design from superstar Indian jeweler Nirav Modi. "That
necklace was outrageously well reviewed," notes gem-watcher Marion
Fasel of The Adventurine, an online magazine dedicated to covering
contemporary new designers and celebrity favorites. "[Modi] is every-
where—his jewelry has been on so many stars at the red carpet." Modi
also seemed omnipresent at the Oscars: Karlie Kloss, Kate Upton, and
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley were all draped in his creations. Naomi
Watts, Kate Winslet and, of course, Bollywood-turned-Hollywood star
Priyanka Chopra, who serves as the brand's global ambassador and
whom Modi calls a muse, have also worn custom pieces.
Though the 46-year-old Modi now lives and works in Mumbai, he
grew up in Belgium, the son of a diamantaire. Steeped in the gem busi-
ness, Nirav initially started a wholesale operation, before moving into
selling jewelry after a friend asked for a custom pair of earrings. That
was just seven years ago. Since then, Modi has become the buzziest
new name in high-end jewelry for decades. "He has been able to enter
the jewelry scene so quickly and with such a strong presence because
of his family's long history in diamonds and rare stones," says Stellene
Volandes, Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country and author of Jeweler.
The next step in building Modi's international profile, of course,
is a second store stateside, in Las Vegas, a West Coast counterpart to
the East Coast flagship he opened last year. "The U.S. consumer is
discerning, and they're looking for something different," Modi says.
"Wynn is a prestigious location that attracts our luxury consumer."
At that new store, expect him to showcase the style that has rapidly
earned such acclaim. The brand is known for its unique, patented
cuts in bespoke shapes, from the chain link-style Ainra, which allows
lighter, more flexible collars, to the petal-shaped Mughal-cut dia-
mond, or the aptly named Endless, which creates what Modi calls a
"halo of diamonds." He explains that the cut "came to life as the result
of over 10 years of research. It has an unbroken line of diamonds,
which, unlike standard diamond shapes, has calibrated curves."
Modi is also renowned for his skill with so-called Golconda diamonds,
the ice cube-like gems from a legendary Indian mine; entirely unsullied
by nitrogen, they have a bright whiteness that bests diamonds found
in any other mine. Modi's passion for these ultra-rare gems was ignited
at an early age. "When I was 8 years old, my father brought home a
Golconda diamond to show my mother, my sister, and me. It was just
mesmerizing—clear, yet sparkling. I wished we could keep it, of course."
It served as inspiration for the mantra that underpins every design today:
"I wanted to create something as majestic as the diamond itself."
45
Taraji P. Henson在2017年奧斯卡頒獎典禮上的造型令人驚艷，
她展現出內心的A ngelina Jolie氣質，穿著高叉禮服裙擺出優雅姿
勢，配襯印度著名珠寶商Nirav Mod i的經典設計款鑽石鑲嵌項圈，令
全場為之矚目。專門報導當代新晉珠寶設計師及名流珠寶收藏的The
Adventur ine網絡雜誌的寶石鑑賞家 Mar ion Fasel評論說：「那條鑽
石項圈實在令人過目難忘。Mod i的作品曝光率極高，眾多明星佩戴他
設計的珠寶亮相紅地毯。」Mod i似乎也已經成為奧斯卡常客：K arlie
K loss、K ate Upton和Rosie Hunt ing ton-W hiteley都曾佩戴過他
的作品。 Naomi Watts、K ate Winslet，當然還有從印度寶萊塢晉身
荷里活巨星的Pr iyanka Chopra也曾佩戴過訂製款式，他是品牌的全
球代言人，Mod i稱他為自己的靈感繆斯。
雖然46歲的Mod i現今在孟買生活和工作，但他在比利時長大，是
一位鑽石商人的兒子。Nirav最初開始從事寶石批發業務，逐漸在行業
內嶄露頭角，後來應一位朋友要求製作訂製耳環，才開始從事珠寶銷
售。那是七年前的事情，其後Mod i便一步步成為高級珠寶行業數十年
來最炙手可熱的新星。Tow n & Countr y雜誌主編、Jeweler雜誌作者
Stel lene Volandes說：「他能夠如此迅速地進入珠寶業界並產生強大
的影響力，是基於家族從事鑽石和稀有寶石領域的悠久歷史。」
Mod i構建國際形象的下一步棋，毫無疑問是在美國本土西海岸的
拉斯維加斯開第二家店鋪，這家新店與去年他在東海岸開張的第一家旗
艦店遙相呼應。「美國消費者的眼光非常挑剔，他們喜歡與別不同的東
西。」Mod i說：「永利是吸引奢侈品消費者的上佳地點。」在這家新店
裡，他期望能展現出讓他迅速獲得廣泛好評的設計格調。品牌以訂製獨
特寶石形狀的切割工藝而聞名，這些獲得專利的切割工藝包括有A inra
相連切割，可以做出更輕巧靈活的項圈，以及花瓣狀的Mugha l-cut蒙
兀兒切割鑽石，或是名符其實的End less永恒切割，能製作出Mod i稱為
「鑽石光環」的圓環形狀。
Mod i的另一項著名技藝，是名為Golconda的鑽石，這款冰塊狀
的鑽石來自傳奇的印度礦區，完全不含氮及其他雜質，擁有有明亮的白
度，比其他礦區出產的鑽石更好。Mod i從小就對這種極為稀有的鑽石
滿懷熱情。「在我8歲的時候，父親帶回了一顆Golconda鑽石，展示給
母親、姐姐和我看。 那顆鑽石如此令人著迷
—純淨無瑕，卻又明亮耀
眼。我當然希望我們能擁有它。」那份記憶成為如今支持Mod i進行設計
的靈感來源：「我想要創作出像鑽石本身那樣瑰麗的作品。」
攝攝
珠寶
一個以極致美學征服國際的傑出珠寶品牌在永利開
張新店，世界名流都趨之若鶩。
by Mark Ellwood